Garment



M. MICHEL June 28, 1949.

GARMENT Filed Jan. 51, 1947.

INVENTOR Namks $7151, we??? Patented June 28 1949 GARMENT Morris Michel, Chicago, Illi, assignor to Rothmoor Corporation; Chicago, 111;,

Delaware a corporation of Application January 31, 1947, Seriall'No. .725",573

1 Claim. (CI. 2 -93) The invention relates to improvements, in garments and'more particularly to pleated garments and novel means to prevent unwarranted and unsightly distention of the pleats while the garment is being worn.

Garments, such as coats, blouses, jackets, etc, frequently are provided'with one .or more pleats intheback'portion thereof adjacent to. andinwardly of each sleeve to permit'lateral expansion and thereby give the wearer freedom of movement. Experience has established that lateral expansion of the garment across the shoulders often results in the pleats remaining distended and as a consequence, the portion of the back across the shoulders is unnecessarily loose and billowy and, hence, very unattractive. It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide means whereby such pleats are yieldably returned after distention to their neat folded condition thus retaining the back portion of the garment extending across the shoulders smooth and form-fitting.

Another object is to provide such a pleated garment with novel fully concealed means common to the pleats at each armhole or sleeve to return the pleats to their original intended positions after having been expanded.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment of the character described which is not expensive to manufacture and one which does not involve the use of excessive quantities of fabrics,

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same principle may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and a purview of the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a back elevational view of a garment embodying features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective View of the pattern forming the back portion of the garment.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the pattern forming a side portion of the garment,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a section of one of the pleats.

Referring to the detailed construction of the garment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the garment shown includes a back portion ll fashioned from two identical halves l2, I2, suitably joined along complemental edges in a 2? back seam l3. Sideportions I4 are secured to the free edges ofthe backportionl ll along seams l5. Each of the side portions-issuitably .cut away adjacent itsupper end to provide armholes I'B each of which has secured therein a sleeve ll;

Means is provided in the back portion l to permit lateral expansion of the portion that extends across the shoulders of the wearer to allow for freedom'of movement; Such'meansis provided inthe form of'parallel' pleats l8, one inwardly of each of the armholes Hi. The pleats l8 preferably are fashioned by providing each back section l2 with a pleat flap 19 extending laterally from one edge thereof and of a length substantially co-extensive with the size of the armhole E6 in side portion it. Each side portion [4 likewise is provided on one edge with an extension 2!] of a length corresponding to the length of the pleat flap I9. Prior to joining a back portion I2 and a side portion [4 along the seam l5, the pleat flap I9 is folded along fold line 20 over and against the inside face of the back portion I2. The side portion M is then secured to the back portion l2 along the seam l5 and the free edge of the extension '2! thereof is secured as by stitches 22 to the complemental free edge of the pleat flap l9 (Fig. 5). A row of stitches 23 is provided adjacent the outer fold of the pleat i8, as best illustrated in Fig. 2, to stiffen the pleat and insure that the fold always remains flat and at no time permits the garment back I I to billow outwardly along the fold.

Upon referrin to Fig. 2, it will be observed that the garment may be provided with a lining generally indicated at 24. This lining is fashioned from patterns conforming substantially to the patterns of the garment proper and it includes a pleat flap 25 joined to the main lining portion as by fold 26 and secured along its free inwardly disposed edge to an extension 21 on a side portion 23 of said lining as by means of stitches 29.

A strip of stretchable material 3| extends across the back of the garment in the manner best illustrated in Fig. l and is secured at its ends to the inner edges of the pleats 18 as by stitches 32. The strip is of such length as to normally retain the inner folds of each of the pleats l8 in the position illustrated. Any lateral expansion of the garment obtained through distention of the pleats I8 causes the stretchable strip 3| to be tensioned. As a consequence, upon relief of any forces tending to expand the garment, the stretchable strip 3| returns immediately to its normal contracted position and thereby returns the pleats l8 to their normal condition,

As a direct consequence of this construction, the back of the garment across the shoulders of the wearer is always maintained smooth and form-fitting, there being no possibility of the pleats or either of them ever remaining distended after lateral expansion. It should be observed further that the use of a thin strip of stretchable material 3! avoids the possibility of the garment attaining an unsightly appearance due to its resistin the natural tendency of the garment to lie snugly across the shoulders of the wearer. This construction also renders the features of the persent invention especially suited to be incorporated in the fabrication of light-weight garments in which excessively wide areas of stretchable material would be objectionable.

Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown in detail in the accompanying drawing and described in the foregoing specification, it should be understood that the invention may be embodied in a wide variety of modifications and incorporated in garments fabricated in a manner other than that specifically illustrated without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a garment, a, back portion fashioned from non-elastic material, a substantially rectangular pleat-flap on each side edge of the back portion coextensive with the part only that overlies the shoulders of a wearer, said pleat-flaps each being folded along a line contiguous with the respective side edge of the back portion against the inside face of the back portion, supplemental portions of non-stretchable material each having an extension on one edge corresponding in size and shape to the folded pleat-flaps, said supplemental portions being secured along the edges carrying the extensions to opposite side edges of the back portion, with their extensions underlying the folded pleat-flaps, the supplemental edges of the pleat-flaps and the extensions being secured together to provide the assembly with substantially rectangular pleats opening along the unsecured folded edge of the back portion, and stretchable means connecting the inner edges of the pleats, one with the other.

MORRIS MICHEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,159,408 Siegel May 23, 1939 2,330,520 Saveth Sept. 28, 1943 2,374,314 Volk Apr. 24, 1945 

